Virtual reality , the emerging 3D technology many expect to be the next quantum leap in the video gaming world , just got a little more real .

Sony , makers of the top-selling PlayStation 4 , has rolled out `` Project Morpheus , '' a virtual reality system it says will pair with its top-selling gaming console to immerse players in the virtual worlds in which they 're playing .

The system , announced Tuesday at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco , joins Oculus Rift , a similar full-immersion VR system that has captured the imaginations of gamers since its $ 2.4 million debut on Kickstarter in 2012 .

`` At -LRB- Sony Computer Entertainment -RRB- , we view innovation as an opportunity to build on our mission to push the boundaries of play , '' said Shuhei Yoshida , president of SCE Worldwide Studios , at the conference . `` Project Morpheus is the latest example of innovation from SCE , and we 're looking forward to its continued development and the games that will be created as development kits get into the hands of content creators . ''

Virtual reality utilizes a headset that gives the wearer a 360-degree field of vision , allowing them to interact with their surroundings as if they were really there . Morpheus will feature a visor-style headset and interact with the camera on the Playstation 4 using sensors that track the player 's head movements .

Despite a multitude of other dramatic changes through the decades , the way console gamers have interacted with visuals has remained virtually unchanged . The prospect of replacing the static , two-dimensional screen has many in the gaming world anxiously contemplating the possibilities .

`` VR is exciting because it thoroughly immerses players in ways not possible on a regular TV set , '' said Dan `` Shoe '' Hsu , a longtime gaming journalist and editor-in-chief of GamesBeat .

`` Wherever you turn your head , that 's where you 'll look , even if it 's physically behind you . That sort of 360-degree immersion has never been done in a believable manner in the past , but the technology has caught up . We can now experience the same high graphical fidelity that we see on HDTVs within virtual reality now . ''

Sony did not announce a specific timetable or price details for Morpheus , saying models that will be made available to developers are prototypes .

It all raises the question of whether top-tier game developers will be willing to make the considerable investment of time and resources it will take to create games for a new , untested system that will only be owned by some gamers who own one particular console .

Hsu thinks Sony is in a good position , though . In just three-and-a-half months , the PlayStation 4 has sold more than 6 million units worldwide .

`` Not every PS4 owner will buy it , of course , '' he said . `` But because Project Morpheus is essentially a new platform on its own , there will be plenty of developers who will want to be first or early on it . This is a chance for developers to plant their flags in a new market . ''

So , what does the arrival of Morpheus mean for Oculus ? With Xbox-maker Microsoft also rumored to be working on its own headset , will the independent shop get squeezed by gaming 's big names before it even hits the market ?

Do n't count on it .

For one , the Oculus Rift is designed to work , primarily , with PCs . So , even if the console makers each develop their own systems , there 's plenty of space for the system to thrive despite the competition .

And it 's got plenty of momentum itself . Oculus has drummed up more than $ 90 million in funding and , in August , brought in legendary gaming developer John Carmack , the lead programmer behind classic games like `` Doom , '' `` Quake '' and `` Wolfenstein 3D , '' as chief technology officer .

`` Oculus is still in a great position with its head start in development , both in hardware and software , '' Hsu said . `` Third-party games have been in the works for the Oculus Rift for quite some time now , so the company is in a good spot for when the headset releases . ''

The system got a profile boost at this month 's South by Southwest Interactive festival , when it was used for a popular exhibit promoting HBO 's `` Game of Thrones . ''

`` Competition is always , always good , '' Hsu said . `` If Sony 's announcement forces Oculus to be even more aggressive in creating a top-notch VR unit and getting it to market more quickly , then the consumers will benefit . ''

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Sony announces `` Project Morpheus , '' a virtual-reality gaming system

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The headset will immerse players in the game 's virtual world

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Morpheus joins Oculus Rift as emerging VR leaders

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Microsoft also rumored to be working on virtual reality